August 15, 1 pm. A black bear was seen in the bushes feeding on saskatoon berries just West of the off leash dog park in the Annex.

If you encounter a Bear:

STAY CALM

DO NOT RUN

Let the bear know you are human (arms out to side)

Use your voice in a calm, assertive manner.

Back away slowly and allow the bear an escape route

Never turn your back on wildlife

Do not approach or feed wildlife

Let’s work togehter to keep wildlife wild and communites safe by keeping garbage indoors inaccessible to bears, cleaning up fruit trees and securing all bear attractants. Remove the attractants so bears move on back to feed on natural food in the wilderness.

There have been daily reports of a grizzly bear feeding on apples while passing through properties in Rosen Lake. “I don’t mind bears in my yard eating apples, what’s the big deal?” This is a reply that I often get when I visit people with trees loaded with apples and rotting windfall fruit all over the ground! Bears will pass through our yards; we chose to live in bear country! It is important however, that the bear is not rewarded for being there.

When a bear gets food (garbage and apples) in your yard, it doesn’t know that your tolerance for bears is higher than your neighbours. It learns that a house, lawn, bicycle and the faint smell of people comes with an easy meal. It eats, learns and moves on. Eventually it will find itself somewhere it is not welcome. And when bears and humans are in conflict, the bear dies nearly every time.

Thanks for cleaning up the fuit trees, locking up the garbage, bringing

Hot weather will start to dry up the berry crop any day now and reduce the availability of natural food for wildlife. Bears have a sense of smell far greater than dogs and it is this sense of smell that helps them locate food at great distances. Once the berries dry up, bears will be drawn into communities to look for easy food like garbage, fruit trees and even birdfeeders. Bears account for over 20 000 calls to the Conservation Officer reporting line every year. Garbage is the number one attractant cited when reporting a call.

Wildlife sightings

Fernie

Moose, black bears and grizzly bears reported throughout the trail network. Be prepared and expect to encounter wildlife anytime. No reported sightings in town, let’s try to keep it that way by locking up garbage, cleaning up fruit trees and bringing in birdfeeders.

Sparwood

Black bears reported in the campground.

Elkford

Grizzly bear sightings reported at the bottom of Alpine Way and by SMS. Cougar sighting reported just north of Karens Pet Inn.

South Country

Grizzly bear sightings reported by the springs at Rosen Lake and on Shelbourne road in Jaffray.

Thank you for keeping your property free of wildlife attractants and putting thought and end energy into preventing encounters with wildlife when out in the back country.